Speaking effectively

Chapter 2.1

1Business Communication

Chapter 2.1

Outline:

Basic speaking skills: personal qualities vocal qualitiesQualities to aim for when speaking.Summary – good speaking.

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Speaking effectively

How do you estimate your ability at effective speaking?

Because we learn to speak before we write and speaking is so much a part of our everyday life, we take speaking for granted and sometimes we “open our mouth before engaging our brain”.

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Speaking actions:

Answer a phone callParticipate in group discussionGive information, instructionsPresent an idea at a meetingMake oral reports to your managerInterviewing

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Basic speaking skills:

They apply in any speaking situation.Personal qualitiesVocal qualities

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Think:

Think of someone whose speaking ability you admire.

What are the qualities and characteristics which contribute to their success when speaking? Make a list.

Think of someone you regard as a poor speaker.

Have they any qualities which distract or irritate you? List these.

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Personal qualities:

1. Clarity: To be a good speaker you need: - to be able to express your ideas

clearly - your language should be simple and

your material organized so that it can be easily followed

- avoid trying to impress by using long, complicated words

- explain any terms that may be unfamiliar to your audience. 7Business Communication Chapter 2.1

Personal qualities(cont’d):

2. Accuracy:You should make sure that: - the words you use say exactly what

you mean - the facts you use should be correct,

so you should take care to research your subject thoroughly

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Personal qualities(cont’d):

- avoid making statements which go beyond the facts and might be challenged.

“Everybody thinks…”, “Nobody in their right mind would accept…”- are dangerous.

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Personal qualities(cont’d):

3. Empathy: - always try to be courteous and friendly.The best way to be courteous and polite is

to put yourself in the other person’s place.

This doesn’t mean that you have to agree with them or their ideas, but it helps you to be understanding and patient.

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Personal qualities(cont’d):

4. Sincerity:This really means to be natural.

5. Relaxation:The best way to sound naturally is to relax.

When our muscle are tense, we have difficulty expressing ourselves naturally.

Solution – take a deep breath!

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Personal qualities(cont’d):

6. Eye contact:

Have you ever been in conversation with someone who avoids looking in your eyes and is looking everywhere but at you?

How does this make you feel?Write down your feelings.

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Eye contact

A speaker who never looks at his listeners may be conveying message like:

I’m not very interested in youI don’t like youI’m not very sure of myselfI’m not sure about what I’m sayingDon’t believe what I’m saying

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Personal qualities(cont’d):

7. Appearance: How you look can affect how well

others understand you. Your appearance reflects how you see

yourself.In most speaking situations people see

the speaker and form judgements about them even before they speak.

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Appearance

There are two important things to consider:

Personal cleanliness and tidinessDress and appearance appropriate to

the situation

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Personal qualities(cont’d):

8. Posture:Poor posture also affects your

psychologically as well as physically.

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Vocal qualities

Don’t think that you can’t change the way you speak.

The first step is to be aware of the factors which affect the sound of your voice.

To ensure that the sounds you produce are clear, your throat muscles must be relaxed, your jaw must not be taut or rigid and your lips must be flexible and capable of assuming a variety of positions.

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Vocal qualities

If you have ever had an anaesthetic injection at the dentist you’ll know what it does to your ability to move your lips properly to pronounce the words.

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

1. PitchA person whose voice has a high pitch

may sound thin or squeaky. A person with low pitch will sound

deep or throaty. When people are frightened or tense,

their voices tend to squeak.

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

One way to relax your throat muscles is to practice this simple exercise:

Take a deep breath. Than, as you breathe out, say several short syllables:

“She gave us all a short talk on art”Notice how the tightness disappears as you

exhale. It is physically impossible to breathe out and keep the muscles tight at the same time. This is why deep breathing can help you relax.

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

2. VolumeIt’s more easily controlled than pitch,

but practice is still required to get the right volume.

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Volume

The right volume depends on the situation and you should note:

- Where you are speaking(size of the room; indoor or outdoors)

- The size of the group to whom you are speaking

- Background noise, for ex. the noise of a/c

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

3. Diction and accentDiction is the way in which you say or

pronounce words. In some extent it is affected by your accent.

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Diction

Diction depends on articulation and enunciation, which are terms used to describe how you pronounce words:

-articulation refers to the way people pronounce consonants

-enunciation refers to the way people pronounce vowels

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

Good diction is generally considered to be the result of being well educated.

It is important not to confuse diction with accent.

Whatever your accent, you should pronounce your words clearly.

Accent and diction will tell your listeners something about you.

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

4. Vocal tensionIndistinct speech can be caused by a tight,

rigid jaw or tight lips or throat.5. SpeedIt also affects the message you are sending.Fast speaking conveys a sense of urgency

to the listeners, makes it difficult to be understood and you won’t be able to pronounce words clearly.

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Vocal qualities (cont’d)

Most people who speak in public actually speak at a slower rate than they do in normal conversation.

6. The use of pauseA good speaker will pause briefly at the

appropriate places to give their listeners the opportunity to take in what they have said.

7. ToneIt can convey whether you are happy or

angry or sad. 27Business Communication Chapter

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Qualities to aim for when speaking

Alertness gives your listener the impression that you are aware of and interested in what is happening around you and what you are saying.

Pleasantness is partly being polite and giving a friendly tone to your voice by smiling and looking pleasant.

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Qualities to aim for when speaking

Distinctness is speaking clearly so that your listener can hear and understand you. This includes pronunciation.

Expressiveness is putting feeling into your voice

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Good speaking

Effective speaking is the result of several things over which you do have control.

Personal Qualities – clarity, accuracy, empathy, sincerity, relaxation, eye contact, appearance and posture which have a lot to do with what you say and how you behave.

Vocal Qualities – the mechanics of speech, pitch, volume, diction and accent, vocal tension, speed, the use of the pause and tone, all of which affect the way you use your voice. 30Business Communication Chapter 2.1